Efficient device debug system

ABSTRACT

A method and system providing for electrical testing of an integrated semiconductor substrate having at least two signal processing layers. The substrate may be provided with a protective layer of plastic, silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride or the like. A selected region of one substrate layer to be tested electrically is exposed by etching or otherwise forming a controllably small aperture any overlying substrate layer(s) away to expos at least one selected circuit trace in the selected region and applying a selected electrical signal to the trace. Optionally, a second aperture, spaced apart from the first aperture, can be formed to expose a second selected circuit trace so that propagation of a signal in one or more substrate circuits can be tested. The aperture cross-sectional shapes may be linear or curvilinear polygons or other suitable shapes.

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/364,563, filed Jul. 30, 1999, and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,246,252, date of patent, Jun. 12, 2001.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to electronic testing of one or more layers of an integrated semiconductor circuit.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Debugging of an array of flipchip devices, such as microprocessors and associated computer components implemented as integrated semiconductor circuits, is necessary to identify which devices are inoperative and the reason(s) for such device failures. One previous debug solution was to provide a large aperture in the flipchip package through which electronic probing could be performed. However, this now requires a full cut-out for the aperture, and any (power) solder bumps and circuit connections within the aperture become inoperative. Because of this lack of power-up, the chip cannot be tested or debugged at full speed.

What is needed is a device debugging approach that removes a minimal area aperture on a chip for signal testing or probing so that electrical power and continuity are not lost at solder bumps, circuit connections or other features within an aperture. Preferably, the location, shape and cross-sectional area of the aperture(s) should be flexible so that interference with a nearby circuit feature can be avoided or minimized, if desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

These needs are met by the invention, which provides a plurality of small probe apertures in the semiconductor die, with locations strategically chosen to allow access to power core bumps and/or circuit connections that are part of the flipchip design. Any number of circuit layers, typically four or more, can be built up and tested for signal routing and power management. Circuit continuity and voltages at power points within a chip can be tested from a location outside the chip target region, using a socket or wire bond-flipchip connection to a package or to a substrate.

A protective coating or packaging material is preferably absent for the chip to be tested. However, a coating may be present, if the coating permits formation and resealing of small apertures therein for insertion of probe or test appliances. A controllably small aperture of arbitrary cross-sectional shape is etched or otherwise provided through one or more signal-processing layers of the chip to expose at least one circuit trace or electrical power solder bump at a target layer that is to be probed or otherwise tested. Optionally, two separated apertures can be provided so that a probe signal introduced at one point in a circuit is received and examined at another point in the circuit. The shape, size and location of the aperture can be chosen to minimize or avoid interference with provision of electrical power and/or electrical connections between circuit traces and components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a schematic view of a multilayered semiconductor circuit fabricated with a conventional approach.

FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is a schematic view illustrating provision of the apparatus in FIG. 1 with a conventional debug package having a relatively large volume or area cut-out.

FIGS. 3 and 4 are a schematic top view and cutaway side view illustrating a semiconductor circuit fabricated for debugging according to the invention.

FIGS. 5A-5F illustrate suitable aperture cross-sectional shapes that may be etched in or removed from, a protective silicon coating or substrate or one or more signal-processing layers of an integrated semiconductor chip according to the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF BEST MODES OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a multilayered semiconductor circuit fabricated with a conventional flipchip design, having one or more (solder) core bumps that are optionally connected to provide electrical power to, or to probe for responses to test signals that appear on, one or more internal layers of an integrated semiconductor circuit. One or more core bumps provides a voltage or current source and/or electrical ground for chip testing and/or operation.

In one version, most or all of the multilayer circuits are present within the bulk or interior of the substrate shown in FIG. 1. In an alternative and preferred version of the invention, most or all of the multilayer circuits are present in a thin film that is deposited on one or more surfaces of the substrate. Whether the circuits are in the interior of, or on the surface(s) of, the substrate, the test bumps must be connected to the core bumps, without breaks or gaps, in order to allow one or more useful electrical tests for the circuit.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-out volume for signal testing or probing on a chip according to a conventional approach. The cut-out volume is a relatively large fraction, as much as 1-10 percent, of the local volume of the chip and often results in removal of one or more solder bumps that are used to provide voltage, current and/or electrical ground. Removal of such a large fraction of the local volume of the chip may also eliminate one or more electrical connections between two otherwise-connected locations on a chip circuit, thus interfering with one or more signal probes or tests on a given layer of the chip. Another problem here is that presence of a relatively hard substrate, such as a ceramic or another metallized material, often precludes placement of a cut-out volume in a convenient location.

The invention etches or otherwise removes one or more small cylindrical volumes or apertures, with diameters in the range 0.01-3 mm, from a chip to expose a selected portion of the chip, down to and including a target layer of the chip, as indicated in FIG. 3. Preferably, the cross-sectional area Al of the cylindrical volume that is removed lies in a range Al of about 10⁻⁴-10 mm², but smaller or larger cross-sectional areas can be used here as well. One or more small chip apertures of a selected cross-sectional shape and area is etched or otherwise removed from overlying layers of the chip at a selected location to expose one or more traces of an electrical circuit in the target layer.

The cross-sectional shape of each removed cylinder may be rectangular, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, or may be another shape, and the diameter and shape of any two apertures may be different or the same. The shape and location of the chip aperture are preferably chosen to avoid, or minimize interference with, solder bumps and layer-to-layer electrical interconnections that provide voltage, current, electrical ground and circuit connections for the circuits within the chip. The cross-sectional shape of the chip aperture may be rectangular, as shown in FIG. 3, or may be convex polygonal, partially concave polygonal, circular, ovular, crescent-like or a combination of linear and curvilinear boundary lines, as illustrated in the examples in FIGS. 5A, 5B, 5C, 5D, SE and 5F, respectively.

In many situations, it may be preferable to provide a second chip aperture, displaced from the first chip aperture and exposing the same target layer or another target layer of the chip. The result of introducing a probe or test signal into a circuit trace in the first target layer, can then be monitored at one or more circuit traces in the target layer exposed by the second chip aperture. The signal that appears on the second circuit trace can be monitored and compared with the probe or test signal for (1) differences in average voltage or peak-to-peak voltage, (2) differences in signal shape, (3) differences in time required to reach a peak of the signal at the first and second signal traces, (4) time delay between introduction of the probe or test signal at the first signal trace and this signal's appearance (possibly in altered form) at the second signal trace, (5) nonlinear effects associated with the probe or test signal, and (6) other qualitative or quantitative parameters of interest. A probe or test signal can also be used to determine the quantitative effects, if any, of variation of a voltage level, including ground voltage, provided at one or more of the solder bumps associated with the chip.

An aperture of at-least-partly controllable size and shape can be formed by using any of several anisotropic etchants. However, different directions in bulk silicon will etch at different rates, and this anisotropy in etch rate should be accounted for in choosing etchant and an etch direction. Preferably, the etchant used should be highly anisotropic, with a longitudinal-to-transverse etch ratio of the order of 25:1 or higher. The (minimum) etch ratio needed may vary with the thickness of substrate to be removed to expose a circuit trace. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for providing for electrical testing of an integrated semiconductor substrate, the system comprising: a substrate positioning mechanism that receives and positions a selected having at least two signal processing layers; an aperture forming mechanism to form a selected aperture, having a selected cross-sectional area no larger than about 10 mm², in an identified region of at least one layer of the substrate that is to be tested electrically, to expose at least a portion of the identified region on the identified layer of the substrate; and a test signal analyzer positioned to impress an electrical signal on at least one circuit trace that is exposed in the identified region by the selected aperture in the substrate layer, and to monitor at least one electrical response to impression of the electrical signal on the at least one trace.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein said received integrated semiconductor substrate has no more than four signal processing layers.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein said area for said aperture is no smaller than about 10⁻⁴ mm².
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein said aperture in said at least one layer of said substrate is formed using an etchant that is at least partly anisotropic.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said anisotropic etchant is selected to have a longitudinal-transverse etch ratio that is at least 25:1.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein: said aperture forming mechanism forms a second selected aperture in said substrate, at a location that is spaced apart from said first selected aperture in said at least one layer of said substrate, to expose a selected second circuit trace; and said test signal analyzer introduces an electrical signal in said first circuit trace and monitors an electrical response at the second circuit trace arising from introducing the electrical signal at said first circuit trace.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein said test signal analyzer monitors said electrical response at said second circuit trace for at least one of the following effects: (1) difference in average voltage at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (2) difference in peak-to-peak voltage at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (3) difference in signal shape at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (4) difference in time required for said signal to reach a signal peak at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (5) time delay between introduction of said signal at said first circuit trace and appearance of said signal at said second circuit trace; (6) at least one nonlinear effect associated with amplitude of said signal that appears at said second circuit trace, after introduction of said signal at said first circuit trace.
 8. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of said first aperture and said second aperture is formed in said at least one layer of said substrate by using an etchant that is at least partly anisotropic.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein said selected aperture in said substrate is chosen to have at least one of a polygonal shape, a rectangular shape, a curvilinear shape, a circular shape and an ovular shape.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least two signal processing layers are provided as a multi-layer thin film that is located on a selected portion of said substrate.
 11. A system for providing for electrical testing of an integrated semiconductor substrate, the system comprising: positioning means for receiving and positioning a selected integrated semiconductor substrate having at least two signal processing layers; aperture forming means for forming a selected aperture, having a selected cross-sectional area no larger than about 10 mm², in an identified region of at least one layer of the substrate that is to be tested electrically, and exposing at least a portion of the identified region on the identified layer of the substrate; and test signal means for impressing an electrical signal on at least one circuit trace that is exposed in the identified region by the selected aperture in the substrate layer, and for monitoring at least one electrical response to impression of the electrical signal on the at least one trace.
 12. The system of claim 11, wherein said received integrated semiconductor substrate has no more than four signal processing layers.
 13. The system of claim 11, wherein said area for said aperture is no smaller than about 10⁻⁴ mm².
 14. The system of claim 11, wherein said aperture in said at least one layer of said substrate is formed using an etchant that is at least partly anisotropic.
 15. The system of claim 14, wherein said anisotropic etchant is selected to have a longitudinal-transverse etch ratio that is at least 25:1.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein: said aperture forming means forms a second selected aperture in said substrate, at a location that is spaced apart from said first selected aperture in said at least one layer of said substrate, to expose a selected second circuit trace; and said test signal means introduces an electrical signal in said first circuit trace and monitors an electrical response at the second circuit trace arising from introducing the electrical signal at said first circuit trace.
 17. The system of claim 16, wherein said test signal means monitors said electrical response at said second circuit trace for at least one of the following effects: (1) difference in average voltage at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (2) difference in peak-to-peak voltage at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (3) difference in signal shape at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (4) difference in time required for said signal to reach a signal peak at said first circuit trace and at said second circuit trace; (5) time delay between introduction of said signal at said first circuit trace and appearance of said signal at said second circuit trace; (6) at least one nonlinear effect associated with amplitude of said signal that appears at said second circuit trace, after introduction of said signal at said first circuit trace.
 18. The system of claim 16, wherein at least one of said first aperture and said second aperture is formed in said at least one layer of said substrate by using an etchant that is at least partly anisotropic.
 19. The system of claim 11, wherein said selected aperture in said substrate is chosen to have at least one of a polygonal shape, a rectangular shape, a curvilinear shape, a circular shape and an ovular shape.
 20. The system of claim 11, wherein said at least two signal processing layers are provided as a multi-layer thin film that is located on a selected portion of said substrate. 